From: Velanche Stewart (vstewart@calpoly.edu)
Date: Fri Sep 13 2002 - 09:56:33 CEST
U R B A N L A N D S C A P E S
Global Club Culture...
Made Fresh Weekly.
Urban Landscapes hits the airwaves tonight and every Friday evening from
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"Playlists" section of the web site.
Be sure to tell your friends about the show!
---- ADDRESS FOR MUSICAL SUBMISSIONS To jump right to the mailing address for musical submissions, please scroll toward the bottom of this circular for more information. ---- NEWS There's quite a bit of info this week, so feel free to break up your reading endeavors into parts, or perhaps consider printing this out for portable reading away from the computer. So let's get started... First, I want to say hello to the new people added to the growing list of subscribers to our weekly circular. I have changed some things around awhile ago, so you might have added yourself to the original mailing list but were not receiving the newsletter. I've now fix things and now you should be receiving it on a regular basis. Welcome along! It's been a great weekend last Saturday as I took a trip to San Francisco to catch the monthly club night called pHUSION, co-sponsored by Ubiquity Records and Urb Magazine. Andrew Jervis of Ubiquity did some good spins to work up the crowd, as did Jonah Sharp. The Zero dB boys (Chris Vogodo & Neil Combstock) arrived with their record cases, and after attempting to make them out I went up to them to introduce myself and we hit things off famously. Between interviews with a woman named Melissa from one of the local Bay Area stations and chatting with Andrew, we've put in some time to chitter-chatter prior to their set. About a bit after 11pm, they went on and put on a set that had the crowd going until closing time, about 2am that morning. David Bassin, another Bay Area DJ who hosts the weekly radio show Freefall (http://www.geocities.com/davidbassin/freefall.html), also was present at the gig and we've shot the breeze for awhile on a variety of musical subjects. We were marvelling of the reaction when the dB boys would throw the crowd for a loop a few times with an off-kilter tune, then watching them learn to adapt fairly quickly. All in all, it was a success indeed. I was invited after the gig by Chris to meet the following day. After finding their hotel, it took another hour for me to find parking (let this be a lesson to y'all...take public transport if at all possible or you too will be going in circles). I've first caught up with Neil, whom I've spoken with briefly during the dB interview last July. We must have spoken for about 90 minutes or so before Chris finally arrives down to meet us. It was another two hours with them as we've spoken about a variety of subjects. The guys said that they have just finished remastering the next Fluid Ounce full-length, which will be an album of many of their remixes. I don't remember the full title, but it will be subtitled "Reconstruction" and should see a release through Fluid Ounce, and released around the world by Ubiquity, about the beginning of 2003. The boys have gone back and not only remasterd some tunes, but also spiced up others that they've felt were incomplete initially. Perhaps the most dramatic reworking, I'm told, will be one of their most recent remixes of Grupo Batuque's "E Ruim." It's expected that they will return stateside to perform more DJ gigs to promote the album. I'm looking forward to hearing the end results, myself. As of now, Zero dB has a self-imposed moratorium on accepting submissions for remixes for the time being in order to continue work on their proper debut album. It will be quite awhile, as that project is now in its infancy. And they still need to fit all this in on top of running the Fluid Ounce label, continuing DJ tours around the world (they are due for more gigs in Europe, Japan, and Australia before the end of this year alone), and their personal obligations. It's really nice to hang out with guys who are so very down-to-earth in spite of the massive reputation they've been receiving from tastemakers and fellow artists from around the globe. Expect other great things to happen down the pipeline in the months to come from Zero dB and their Fluid Ounce label. Shouts to dB, who by now should be home for awhile. Thanks also to Andrew from Ubiquity for helping to make everything possible, and to David for his company while at the club. TREASURE ISLAND IN SAN FRANCISCO If you happen to be in San Francisco on the weekend of September 29, there is an event that's happening from Noon-Midnight that day. It's known as the First Annual Treasure Island Electronic Music & Arts Fest. Many types of sounds will be represented, including nu-jazz, house, Latin, downtempo, and more. Artists scheduled to appear there includes Steve Cobby from Fila Brazillia, Daddy G from Massive Attack, Different Drummer Soundsystem (ex-Rockers Hi-Fi), John Beltram, Blaktronics and others. Many DJs will be representing, including Jonah Sharp and Andrew Jervis. If you'd like to find out more information about the event, please visit the web site at http://www.elektricsoul.com/index.html. It's not often that we have festivals like this in California, so let's hope for a great turnout. I plan to be there, and I know of several folks reading the circular who will be there. If you are planning on attending, let me know and perhaps we might meet while there. JAZZANOVA AND KOOP IN CALIFORNIA Indeed, these two critically lauded acts are currently touring the U.S. to promote their respective albums and performing DJ sets. Two members from Jazzanova will be representing, while one member of Koop will take the decks separately. I will have the opportunity to interview both groups prior to their sets, and air their profiles on Urban Landscapes in the near future. I will let you know the airdates as I move closer to completion. Jazzanova & Koop will be at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles on Friday September 20. If you live in or visiting around Southern California and plan on attending the show, let me know so that we can attempt to hook up and mingle a bit. GONE NEXT FRIDAY I don't plan on skipping a beat as far as the circular goes...you'll see another one like this one coming next week. However, I will be out of town that night at the Jazzanova/Koop event. Jennifer, who was kind enough to fill in for me in late July, will once again take her place in the Urban Landscapes hot seat. She'll keep the show flowing in my absence in her own way, and I trust she'll have as much fun playing as you should listening. I shall return on-air the following week, as the new school year begins in earnest at Cal Poly and new music galore is to be had in spades. For now, you shall hear me tonight. And so with that, on we go... ---- REVIEWS THIS WEEK Rima--Try To Understand 12" (Papa/UK) This is dope broken house bizniz from West London's Domu from the Bugz In The Attic crew and Volcov from the excellent Archive label out of Italy (which he runs). The 12" from the fledging Papa Records shows that the label is on top of things rather nicely. Vocals on each side differ slightly, but I'm down with the Pressure Mix with a nice blend of broken percussion and funky, soulful basslines. We also get the original mix with about the slightly different sparse lyrical vocal as the flip. It's another quality single from Papa. Various Artists--The Chromatic Universe sampler 12" (Visions/UK) Delicious musical biz from Alex Attias's Visions label, which can't seem to do any wrong with any of its releases. And so it is that we are blessed with this 12" from the forthcoming Visions compilation. The tune, Give A Little Love (with the capable vocals of Vanessa Freeman), was a favorite in the broken beat scene...now reworked into a Freedom Soundz Remix that's quite seductive and deeper than the original. On the flip, Attias goes under his Mustang guise for the tasty Freedom Soundz tweaking of "Twilight," while Domu (does this guy ever *not* show up??) does the biz on "Unique." One can only wonder what the full long-player will be like, but this is a great teaser of things to come. Visions continues to live up to its name. Various Artists--The New Season sampler 12" (Archive/UK) Fresh new 12" from Archive finds the infamous track from Volcov & Paradox, "No Europe," getting worked up into a dance-friendly stormer by Domu (isn't there a mix that this guy *can't* do wrong??). Meanwhile, Paul Dolby works under his Opaque guise for the tune "Sonic" with hard beats, bassolicious grooves, and just the sort of tune that gets the body working nicely. Pick this one up! Various Artists--Fashion Beat (Scenario/Italy) Don't let the album cover put you off. This could have easily been just another compilation that stays in the CD bin to collect dust. Well if you find this one, take it out of the bin and give this one a listen. Italy-based label Scenario Music releases this long-player compilation of nu-jazz and deep house concotions that are cuts above many of its contemporaries. From the bossa beats of Mono Deluxe's "Looking At My Shoes," this album knows deep and soulful music very well. And if the names of the artists doesn't ring the bell, don't let that stop you from at least finding out for yourself what a well put-together compilation of its kind it really is. Salvo Lorusso, the man who runs Scenario, has a wonderful ear for picking good-sounding tunes and putting them in all the right places to make this compilation fresh listening from beginning to end. Many thanks to Salvo for sending this out stateside. What's to come in the future is anyone's guess, but let's hope it's just as good as this one....and let's hope they don't stay on them shelves! Boom Bip--Seed To Sun (Lex) I've received the 12" sampler to the long-player by Boom Bip, and at the time I wasn't really feeling it. I must have had a bad day or something, because listening to this trippy full-length made better sense to me. I've felt all the more fulfilled for it. It's a little bit of indie rock without the vocals, but mainly a great deal of hip-hop and enough electronic atmospheric flavor to give this album bite...courtesy of Warp Records 's Lex imprint. It's very much in the downbeat vein, but not to say that it's your typical downtempo sound by any means. Check out this release and delve into the musical world that is Boom Bip. Goes up there with the best alternative hip-hop goodies of the year such as Prefuse 73 and Dabyre. Various Artists--The Only Blip Hop Record You Will Ever Need: Vol 1 (Luaka Bop) I'm not quite sure if I like the term "blip-hop" any more than I like the term "nu-jazz," but I suppose we have to seek ways of attempting to easily identify genres of music that differs so radically from the mainstream. In any event, this new compilation from the well-respected world music label Luaka Bop represents a who's who of electronic artists. Put together by labelhead and former Talking Loud leadman David Byrne, you'll find tunes from the likes of Mouse On Mars, To Rococo Rot, Schneider TM (who has a new long-player of his own), Pole, Tarwater (also with a new album), and even madman Doctor Rockit (that's Matthew Herbert to you). It's definitely an acquired taste to explore such sounds, but fans of the aformentioned artists will eat this compilation out to lunch. If you aren't familiar with their works, you should allow yourself at least a willingness to expand on your thoughts of what electronic msuic is and dig in. It's very good stuff that at least warrants some exploration. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it works well for me. Several more reviews are in the works, but my limited time this week has such reviews moving to next week for completion...but all are good (I'll let you know how good soon). Next week's reviews will include: -Coffy Is The Color--Everytime We Say Goodbye EP 7" (Downtempo promo/Ireland) -Various Artists--Select Cuts From Blood & Fire: Chapter Three (Blood & Fire) -Bugz In The Attic Presents the Family Factory EP 12" (Tronicsole/UK) -Llorca--New Comer (PIAS America/F Communications) -Various Artists--Blue Light One sampler 12" (Nettwerk/Upstairs promo) =Various Artists--Basic Laws Vol. 2 (Neroli) ---- VELANCHE'S SOUNDSCAPES FOR SEPTEMBER 2002 (in no particular order) Note: Labels with country names are imports to the U.S. 1. Coffey Is The Color--Everytime We Say Goodbye EP 7" (Downtempo promo/Ireland) 2. Bugz In The Attic Presents Family Factory EP 12" (Tronicsole/UK) 3. Rima--Try To Understand 12" (Papa/UK) 4. Various Artists--The Chromatic Universe sampler EP 12" (Visions/UK) 5. Various Artists--The New Season sampler 12" (Archive/UK) 6. Jazzanova--Days To Come: Ayro/Ian O'Brien Remixes 12" (JCR-Compost/Germany) 7. Szymanski--Lover's Quarrel EP 12" (Omoa) 8. Various Artists--King Britt Presents The Philadelphia Experiment Remixed (Rope-A-Dope) 9. Various Artists--Fluid Ounce Unmeasured (Ubiquity) 10. Nuspirit Helsinki--Trying 12" (Guidance) 11. Plankton Man vs. Terrestre--S/T (Run) 12. Uschi Classen--Soul Magic (Earthproject/UK) 13. Frederic Galliano & The African Divas--S/T (PIAS America/F Communications) 14. Nightmares On Wax--Mind Elevation (Warp) 15. Various Artists--Fashion Beat (Scenario/Italy) 16. Black Renaissance--Mind, Body & Spirit (Luv N'Haight) 17. Minus 8--Minuit (Compost) 18. Llorca--New Comer (PIAS America/F Communications) 19. Los Ladrones--Montana Rusa (Earthproject/UK) 20. Stereotyp--My Sound (G-Stone/Austria) 21. Les Hommes--S/T (ESL Music) 22. Various Artists--Blue Light One sampler EP 12" (Nettwerk/Upstairs promo) 23. Various Artists--Select Cuts From Blood & Fire: Chapter Three (Blood & Fire) 24. Cousin Cockroach--This Ain't Tom N' Jerry 12" (Bitasweet/UK) 25. Inverse Cinematics--Slow Swing 12" EP (Pulver/Germany) 26. Focus--Having Your Fun 12" (Versatile/France) 27. Dzihan & Kamien--Stiff Jazz 12" (Couch/Austria) 28. Dubarchanoid Trim--S/T (Ultima/Portugal) 29. Various Artists--Co-Operation Session 2 (Goya Music/UK) 30. Various Artists--The Only Blip Hop Record You Will Ever Need: Vol 1 (Luaka Bop) ---- LAST WEEK'S PLAYLIST: The Summer Quarter Rewind Special: Part Two--The Singles (listen at http://urbanlandscapesshow.com/shows/06Sept02.ram) Note: Labels with country names are imports to the U.S. More Albums from Part One 1. Landslide--Don't Give Up Now (Boswick Gates Remix) Om 100 compilation (Om) 2. Blakai--The King Iz Dead, Long Live The King Co-Operation Session 2 compilation (Goya Music/UK) 3. Q-Burns Abstract Message--Imprisioned Glitch (Doctorolive's Concrete Massage Mix) Re-Routed: The Invisible Airline Remixes compilation (Eighth Dimension) 4. Minus 8--Snowblind (The Amalgamation Of Soundz Out Of Mind Mix) Minuit (Compost) 5. High Contrast--Return To Forever True Colors (Breakbeat Science/Hospital) The Summer Quarter Rewind: Part Two--The Singles 6. Binder & Kriegistein--Desayuno 12" (Zieger white/Germany) 7. Dzihan & Kamien--Stiff Jazz 12" (Couch/Austria) 8. The Bobby Hughes Combination--Kerma Elastica 12" (Stereo Deluxe/Germany) 9. Llorca--Indigo Blues (Faze Action Remix) 12" (F Communications) 10. Si^Se--Cuando (King Britt's Summer Mix) 12" (Luaka Bop) **Not on list; played to promote local performance live** 11. Recloose--Ain't Changin' (Carl Craig's Dark Soul Mix) 12" (Planet E) 12. Focus--Having Your Fun (4 Hero Rework) 12" (Versatile/France) 13. Jazzanova--Soon (Domu Vocal Mix) 12" (JCR-Compost/Germany) 14. Nuspirit Helsinki--Trying (The Capoeira Twins Murakawa Remix) 12" (Guidance) 15. Cousin Cockroach--This Ain't Tom N'Jerry 12" (Bitasweet/UK) 16. Frankie Valentine--Intro/Outro (Volcov 4-4-2 Remix) 12" (Sunshine Enterprises/Austria) 17. Toy Division--Budapest Resonance (Andrew J Remix) 12" (Juice/Hungary) 18. Larissa Papp--You (Grace Mix) 12" (Neglige/Austria) 19. Bassman--Big Fun (featuring Justine Elektra) Doorpusher EP 12" (Fabrique/Austria) 20. Inverse Cinematics--On The Run Slow Swing EP 12" (Pulver/Germany) 21. Prefuse 73--Love You Bring The '92 to '02 Collection EP 12" (Warp) 22. Nightmares On Wax--Know My Name (Harmonic 33 Remix) 12" (Warp) 23. Dub Diablo--The Shape-Up Tomorrow's Radio EP 12" (Dis-Joint) 24. The Avalanches--Since I Left You (Stereolab Remix) 12" (Modular/Elektra) 25. Z. D. Silence--The World (Looking...) Playground 5 EP 12" (Ecco Chamber/Germany) 26. Bassman--Minimal Destruction Doorpusher EP 12" (Fabrique/Germany) 27. King Of Woolworth--This Is Radio Theydon Dew Point EP 2x10" (Mantra) ---- Urban Landscapes proudly supports quality independent music from around the world. Respect to all the independent labels, radio promotion folks, and related entities for sharing the wonderful musical goods. The show has been keeping it real for over four years, as the movement continues to expand its influence. Please feel free to send promos/musical submissions (CD/CDR, vinyl, and minidisc) for airplay and/or review consideration and t-shirts (large, if you please) to: Velanche Stewart, Urban Landscapes c/o KCPR 91.3 FM Graphic Communications Bldg. Room 201 Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 USA If you're available for interviews, we welcome them as well. Just send me an e-mail message to mail@urbanlandscapesshow.com. This newsletter is sent to DJs, record labels, recording artists, promotion companies, and like-minded music lovers from around the world. Feel free to forward this onward to others whom you feel may benefit. If you wish to be removed from the list, please let me know. To be added to the weekly mailing list, please send me email and I'll add your name to the list. Have a great weekend!
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Sep 13 2002 - 09:56:04 CEST